Typhoid is a common disease in India. In this, a course of medicines is taken for a few days and this disease is cured in most of the cases, but now a research has claimed that this disease is causing a big economic and health crisis. According to a study recently published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, the total economic burden related to typhoid in the country in the year 2023 will be around Rs 12,300 crore. The biggest matter of concern in this is that 87% of the expenditure was due to antibiotic-resistant infections.
This means that the medicines used in the treatment of typhoid are not doing their job properly and a lot of money is being spent in this treatment. All this is happening due to antibiotic-resistant typhoid. Antibiotic-resistant typhoid means that the typhoid bacteria have become more powerful against the medicines for this disease. Due to which medicines are not having any effect on the disease.
Especially antibiotics like fluoroquinolone, which earlier used to act quickly, are now becoming less effective in many patients. Due to this the treatment is becoming long and expensive. Because due to lack of effect of normal medicines, other medicines are being used which are quite expensive. Due to this the cost of treatment is increasing manifold.
Children are most affected
The study revealed that it is affecting children below 10 years of age the most. More than half of the total expenditure is going towards the treatment of children of this age. The reason for this is that most cases of typhoid occur in children below 10 years of age. When their treatment starts, in many cases the parents leave the treatment midway after the child feels comfortable. In many cases, after symptoms of typhoid appear, they bring the medicine from the medical store and feed it to the child themselves. This overuse is also causing antibiotic resistance.
Financial burden on families
It has been told in the study that about 70,000 families of India are facing huge financial crisis. Among these, people are more affected in states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
What is the solution?
Correct use of antibiotics
drink clean water
take care of your diet
complete the course on time